I started this podcast to learn more about the LGBTQIA+ community. I felt like I had a pretty good grasp on the 'G' but I didn't know as much about the L, or B or QTIA+ Over the course of almost 50 interviews I've become a better father, husband, friend, ally and advocate for the community. This is what I've learned ❤️ Also just a heads up - this is the final episode of this season. But you can always stay in touch with me on Instagram @seanszepsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can you have sex with someone of the same gender and not have it define your life or even your sexuality? Rob 'Millsy' Mills thinks you can. Rob came out about having a threesome with Shane Jenek (aka Courtney Act) to normalise the conversation about sexual fluidity among men. Sean speaks with Rob about growing up with speculation over his sexuality simply because he was in the performing arts, why he decided to share the story about Courtney, how he told his partner about it, and what kind of future he wants for men exploring their sexuality. Follow Rob on Instagram: @robmillsymills Check out Rob's book 'Putting On A Show: Manhood, Mates and Mental Health' https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/putting-on-a-show/  Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplaceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Merry Christmas my beautiful friends. You asked: “Help! My family isn’t accepting of my sexuality. They won’t let me bring my girlfriend home either, which makes me not want to go home for Christmas. Any tips?” So Sean reached out to his queer brain's trust to get their advice on how you can navigate the holiday season when your family doesn't accept your gender, sexuality, pronouns, partner or the way you dress. What do you do when someone uses your deadname? How do you answer when someone asks about your girlfriend (but you're gay)? Is it ever okay to skip family Christmas entirely? The holidays can be hard but we've got you ❤️ Get in touch with us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesse is a queer, non-binary actor and performer. They learned to sing, and fell in love with performance, in the Pentecostal Church as a kid and after school they studied songwriting for two years at Hillsong College. Jesse knew they were queer all that time but knew they couldn't come out and live authentically if they wanted to remain in the church. Jesse opens up to Sean about attempting to "pray the gay away", coming out via Facebook before they told their parents, and why they still miss church in spite of everything that's happened. Follow Jesse on Instagram: @jessedutlow See Jesse in '& Juliet' next year: https://andjuliet.com.au/  Jesse recommends the book 'UnClobber: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality Paperback' by Colby Martin Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplaceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robyn Lambird is a non-binary athlete and the first out non-binary Paralympian to win a medal at the Games. Impressive, right? So why are people so obsessed with asking them how they have sex or if being non-binary is all a big experiment? In today's Queer Question, I ask Robyn the most inappropriate questions they get about sexuality, gender, disability and relationships, to find out if these questions are ever okay to ask, and what's a better alternative. Follow Robyn on Instagram @robynlambird Check out the post that inspired this episode https://www.instagram.com/p/CfyhScfAdLt/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ellia knew he was different before he ever had the language to describe how he felt. He knew he was different when he was winning gold for Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the women's Rugby 7's team. But Ellia had a job to do. He had to represent his country, support his family, and fulfil a dream he'd had since he was a kid. It wasn't until Ellia retired from professional sport in 2021, and with the support of his partner Vanessa, that he had the time to comprehend the feelings he'd had since childhood and research what he could do to affirm his gender. Ellia sits down with Sean to share about his childhood sporting dreams and the athletes he looked up to, coming out as a trans man to his family in Fiji and his teammates post surgery, and why he didn't come out sooner. Follow Ellia on Instagram: @elliagreen Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplaceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's Queer Question comes from you! You asked: how is bisexuality not transphobic and/or erasing to non-binary people? And we brought in friend of the podcast, non-binary content creator, actor, DJ and trainer, Kath Ebbs, to chat it through. Follow Kath on Instagram @kathebbs Listen to Kath's episode of Come Out Wherever You Are here https://link.chtbl.com/VtsaNurs See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where's the line between gender, sexuality and self-expression? Jack dresses to feel good. Some days that means wearing a crop top and heels and he's no less of a man for doing so. But when Jack recently posted a photo of himself wearing a crop top, he lost followers. Jack sits down with Sean to explore why he thinks it happened, as well as coming out in the national spotlight, finding comfort in religion and dealing with constant (mostly unwanted) attention on the way he looks. Follow Jack on Instagram: @jack.vidgen Jack has a new track called 'Solo' https://open.spotify.com/track/5nwzyHrmtHFNHPZBauEXk5?  Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplaceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This one's for the parents. Every week you guys will DM me saying "my child has come out as gay or lesbian or trans or non-binary or "I don't know what I am but I feel different", what do I do!?" And every week, I reply with advice and resources and reassurance that it's all going to be okay, for your and for your child. So for this week's Queer Question, I take it out of the DMs, and into the podcast to help you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the HIV/AIDS epidemic, to marriage equality, to the current treatment of gay refugees in Australia, Dennis Altman has been there for all of it. He is a writer, an academic, Vice Chancellor's Fellow and Professorial Fellow in the Institute for Human Security at LaTrobe University in Melbourne. His first book 'Homosexual: Oppression and Liberation' is considered THE definitive text on the gay liberation movement. In his subsequent books he tackles sexuality, politics, the relationship between Australia and the United States and HIV/AIDS. In this far-reaching chat, Sean & Dennis discuss Dennis' experience of living in the USA when AIDS first emerged, Australia's treatment of LGBTQIA+ refugees, the commercialisation of Mardi Gras, his thoughts on marriage and Heartbreak High. Dennis' most recent books are: 'Unrequited Love: Diary of an Accidental Activist' https://publishing.monash.edu/product/unrequited-love/ 'God Save The Queen: the strange persistence of monarchies' https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/god-save-the-queen-9781922310569  Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week Melbourne United basketball player, Isaac Humphries, came out as gay. This makes him the only openly gay male player in a top tier men's basketball team. In an emotional video posted to Humphries' Instagram, he shared that coming to terms with his sexuality forced him into a very dark and lonely place. "I hated it about myself. I was disgusted at myself. I thought that I could not be that person within our environment, within a basketball environment," he said. The news made headlines around the world, but left some people asking: do we care more about male athletes coming out than female athletes who do the exact same thing. And if so, why? In this week's Queer Question, Sean asks (and hopefully answers) that very Queer Question! Watch the video on Isaac's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck_5tLThTfs/ Get in touch with us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who's the person behind the hair and makeup? Carla From Bankstown is one of Australia's most recognisable characters, but growing up as a flamboyant boy in Bankstown, Ben was asked to change himself so he wouldn't be a target for bullies. Ben sits down with Sean to share about growing up different, the unwavering support he's received from his parents, using Carla as a chance to play around with gender and sexuality and coming out on to the whole country on Celebrity Apprentice. Follow Carla on Instagram: @carlafrombankstown Listen to Carla's podcast 'OMG BRO' https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/omg-bro/id1630051393  Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplaceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eminem has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He's the second-best selling male artist in US history, having sold over 220 million records worldwide and winning 15 Grammys and an Academy Award. Does he deserve to be there? Yes! But is it a problem that the lyrics of some of his most popular songs are not at all subtle in their homophobia? Also yes! In today's Queer Question, Sean asks: does homophobia stop you from being successful? Get in touch with us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being gay is fundamental to who Tom Ballard is. His life, his career and his politics are all because he's gay, not in spite of it. Tom is one of Australia's most well-known and beloved comedians. From RAW Comedy, to triple j Breakfast, to Tonightly, Tom Ballard has been a mainstay in Australian media and comedy for more than a decade. Tom sits down with Sean to chat gay jokes, finding community, self-deprecating humour and how he's learned to love being gay. Tom has a book coming out! It's called 'I, Millennial: One Snowflake's Screed Against Boomers, Billionaires and Everything Else'. Follow Tom on Instagram: @tomcballard Check out his book https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/I-Millennial/Tom-Ballard/9781761100635 Head along to his Melbourne book launch https://www.readings.com.au/events/tom-ballard-in-conversation  Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"i’m bi. congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself. i think some of you missed the point of the show. bye" After being driven off Twitter following accusations of 'queerbaiting', 18-year-old Heartstopper actor, Kit Connor, returned to the platform last week to make this announcement. His coming out forced us to ask questions about what queerbaiting actually is and if any one of us have a right to know a celebrity's sexuality (hint...we don't). It's a juicy Queer Questions today my friends. Read Kit's original tweet https://twitter.com/kit_connor/status/1587218539236188160 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What can sex work teach you about your sexuality? Why don't more women hire sex workers? Are straight people more judgemental of sex workers than queer people? Tilly Lawless is a queer sex worker, a writer and the host of the latest season of the podcast 'Tall Tales & True' where she shares 7 sex workers' stories. Tilly identifies as queer and started sleeping with women in her teen years. She started sex work after realising how easy it was to sleep with men. Tilly sits down with Sean to discuss her queer education on Tumblr, the differences she notices between how queer people and straight people engage in sexual relationships, deciding when to come out to her clients, and the time she was hired by a pregnant women. Listen to this one with headphones. Follow Tilly on Instagram: @tilly_lawless Listen to the latest season of Tales Tall & True https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/talltalesandtrue  Tilly recommends you start with Chantell's episode https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/talltalesandtrue/chantell-martin-becoming-herself/101389990  Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

'Love This For You' is the debut book from beloved friend of the podcast Deni Todorović. Deni was the first ever guest on Come Out Wherever You Are. They shared their story of coming out twice: first as gay and then as non-binary. And now it's our turn to return the favour by telling you, our lovely listeners, about their book. 'Love This For You' is a powerful combination of self-development guide and memoir with practical activities to help you better understand yourself and rewrite your own rules. Deni opens up to Sean about the time their parents spotted them wearing a dress as a kid, how they've become more comfortable wearing a dress than jeans, hiding their queerness behind masks and body image pressures that persist regardless of gender. Follow Deni on Instagram: @stylebydeni Buy Deni's book where all good books are sold https://www.panterapress.com.au/product/love-this-for-you/  Get in touch with us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Parr was diagnosed with cancer a week after he came out. At the same time that James was exploring himself as an out, bisexual man, he was also figuring out what his life would look like if he lost a limb. Now James takes pride in his disability and he will challenge anyone who tries to pity him or tell him that his life is "sad". James shares with Sean about running away from home as a kid, coming to terms with his sexuality in a hyper-masculine regional town, how he's gained confidence in his disability, and how he weeds out the men on Grindr who want to get to know him...and the men who want to fetishise him. Follow James on Instagram: @_jamesparr Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Gay Christmas! 🎄🎃 To celebrate, Sean sits down with Sandy McIntyre to ask: Why are queer people so obsessed with Halloween? Where did the term "Gay Christmas" come from? Is it easier to wear a dress on Halloween? What if I'm a man and I wear a dress on Halloween...and I like it? And Sean & Sandy reveal what they'll be wearing this Halloween 👀 Follow Sandy on Instagram: @sandymcintyre Get in touch with us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today is Intersex Awareness Day! It's no secret that intersex is one of the less represented and understood letters of the LGBTQIA+ alphabet, so this Intersex Awareness Day we've decided to bring in the big guns to ensure that all of us are a little bit more informed. Sean sits down with Cody Smith, Senior Projects Officer at Intersex Human Rights Australia to help answer all of your questions. If you wanted to know what intersex means, how common it is, if surgeries are currently legal in Australia, how it's different from being transgender, the appropriate language to use when talking to someone who is intersex, when parents should tell their children that they are intersex and if parents should tell their kids about surgeries performed after birth, then this is the episode for you. Follow Intersex Human Rights Australia: @intersexaus Read the Darlington Statement here: https://ihra.org.au/darlington-statement/#:~:text=We%20recognise%20that%20the%20stigmatisation,accessing%20of%20services%20including%20healthcare. Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bros is the first gay rom-com ever made by a major studio AND the first movie at a major studio to star and be written by an openly gay man. It's fun, it's flirty, it's camp and it's a very big deal. Sean sits down with the stars of Bros, Billy Eichner & Luke Macfarlane, to talk about: including kids in gay love stories, portraying queer love and sex on a mainstream screen, an alternative opening line on Grindr to "hey what's up", and which Aussies they'd like to share a rom-com moment with. Bros is out in Australian cinemas from October 27th. Stay up to date with Bros on Instagram: @brosthemovie Get in touch with us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Casey Dellacqua has always had her eyes on the prize. She wanted to be a world-class tennis player and represent her country in the Olympics one day. What she didn't want, was to be a poster girl for queer athletes around the world. She wanted it to be, justifiably, about her tennis. But then, the media noticed she was playing less even though she was ranked very high. They started to ask questions. The reason? She was at home with her partner, Amanda, who was pregnant with their first son. Casey was too excited to keep that information to herself, so she came out publicly for the first time with the whole tennis world watching. Most of the press was extremely positive. Support poured in from around the world. But Margaret Court decided to write a letter in the newspaper lamenting a "fatherless generation" in response. And although Casey never intended to be a spokesperson for the LGBTQIA+ community, she stood up for herself and her family and has since become a powerful advocate for queer athletes and parents around the world. Follow Casey on Instagram: @caseydellacqua Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not top, not bottom, not verse, but side. Why does it matter? What does a side actually do? And is sex still sex without penetration? It's ya weekly Queer Question* from Sean Szeps' brain to your ears. *headphones recommended Join in the conversation on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Ask us your Queer Questions: comeouttous@gmail.com If you want more information: Read Joe Kort's article about sides here: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/guys-on-the-side-looking-beyond-gay-tops-and-bottoms_b_3082484?guccounter=1  If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should gay actors be hired to play gay roles? Since coming out in his 30's, Mathew's acting has improved and he's gotten more work. But despite his best efforts to play a variety of gay & straight roles, Matthew is still mostly cast as the gay character. When he misses out, the role will go to a straight actor. And he's been keeping the receipts. Matthew sits down with Sean to discuss: whose responsibility is it to create opportunities for LGBTQIA+ actors? What will a more diverse entertainment industry actually look like? And what do parents say when they find out the Play School host they watch every day...is gay? Follow Matthew on Instagram: @matthewbacker Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The moment Milo Hartill realised she might like women was during a Halle Berry movie. And she's never felt bad about it. Milo's story is a modern coming out masterpiece: pride, acceptance, joy. But other people make assumptions based on Milo's sexuality simply because she is fat, black and "different". Sean & Milo get into it in this one: fatphobia, racism, body diversity, being a token, why bisexuals have it harder than others in the queer community, having a parent who doesn't accept your sexuality and which Halle Berry movie changed Milo forever. Follow Milo on Instagram: @milohartill Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The kids' TV show Peppa Pig has introduced a lesbian couple. For some people, it's a long time coming. For others (cough cough the religious right) it's another sign that kids are being indoctrinated with a gay agenda. What's the big deal? What responsibility do parents have to introduce their kids to queer content? What responsibility do TV shows have to represent the world they exist in? Sean answers it all in today's ✨ Queer Question ✨ Join in the conversation on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Ask us your Queer Questions: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak about the HIV/AIDS epidemic a lot like it's a mythical, historical event and not something that happened verrrrry recently. David Bradford is a retired sexual health physician who was the Director of the Melbourne Communicable Diseases Centre when the first cases of HIV appeared in Melbourne in 1983. David's story starts in 1941 in a religious family in the Blue Mountains and spans the Vietnam War, living, working & finding community in London, falling in love in Sydney, creating a life with his partner Michael in Melbourne, and specialising in STIs and HIV/AIDS in Melbourne and Cairns. His story is, as you'll quickly learn, essential listening. Learn more about David's story at the 'Defending with Pride' exhibition at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne: https://www.shrine.org.au/defending-pride  Read David's books: https://publishing.monash.edu/product/tell-me-i-m-okay/ https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-gunners-doctor-9781742747491  Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today is Celebrate Bisexuality Day. I don't need to tell you that bisexuals get the shit end of the stick in the LGBTQIA+ community. They're the butt of the joke, stigmatised, fetishised, made fun of and not taken seriously. And I've been a part of it. So this Bi Week, I wanted to say I'm sorry. Join in the conversation on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Ask us your Queer Questions: comeouttous@gmail.com Learn more about the Pew Research Centre studies https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2013/06/13/a-survey-of-lgbt-americans/ https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/18/bisexual-adults-are-far-less-likely-than-gay-men-and-lesbians-to-be-out-to-the-people-in-their-lives/  If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Art Simone has forged their own path in the drag world. These days you'll find her on tour for RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, but she has been perfecting her craft since high school. And it's all been possible thanks to the support (and a healthy dose of skepticism) from their Mum. Sean sits down with Art to find out: do you need to "come out" as a drag queen? Do drag queens just want to be women? And how do you tell your Mum that you want to drop out of uni to become a full-time drag queen? Follow Art on Instagram: @rtist_ Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s published 'Created and Loved: A guide for Catholic schools on identity and gender'. It's a 12-page guide for principals, teachers and parish priests about how to work with young people in respect to their identity and gender. The Catholic Church + advice on gender = a very anxious Sean. We've read the guide so you don't have to. What's it all about? Should I be worried? What can parents do to support their kids in Catholic schools? Listen and find out. Join in the conversation on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Ask us your Queer Questions: comeouttous@gmail.com Read the guide here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X11WeuMYfHeyMwVmMQMivzMZUnI6rOQQ/view Scroll back in your podcast feed to hear our episode with Christian Hull from March 2022 If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"We should be allowed to succeed and win” When Rudy Jean Rigg was at the height of their competitive badminton career, they made the decision to affirm their gender and transition. For Rudy, playing competitive sport and being trans sadly couldn't co-exist at the same time. At least not a few years ago. But what if they could now? In this riveting episode, Sean speaks with queer, non-binary, trans-masculine legend Rudy Jean Rigg about the future they want for transgender people in sport. We cover a LOT in these 45 minutes: autism, growing up in *the* badminton family in Victoria and why it's not good enough to tell trans people to just go and play with other trans people. Follow Rudy on Instagram: @rudyjeanrigg Watch Rudy's Rainbow History Class: https://www.tiktok.com/@rainbowhistoryclass Watch TransAthletica: https://www.tiktok.com/@transathletica.series  Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's our very first Ask Me Anything episode. And we're doing it with our non-binary hero, Sandy McIntyre. We start off easy: What's the difference between non-binary, gender non-conforming and genderqueer? Does everyone use they/them pronouns? Should I choose gender-neutral names for my kids? And then we turn up the heat and throw in some 🌶 spicy 🌶 questions!   Is calling yourself non-binary just a phase young people are doing to rebel? Can't you just remain a man and wear a dress? Is it harder to be gay or non-binary? Follow Sandy on Instagram: @sandymcintyre_ and @queerful_ Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine you're a young girl dreaming of serving in the Australian Army. Then, it becomes your reality. You have your dream job now. And a few years into your service, you fall in love with one of your colleagues. Harmless, really. Except... it's the 1970's. And that colleague is another woman. This was the reality for Yvonne Sillett who served in the Corps of Signals in the Australian Army for 10 years before she was forced out due to her sexuality. On today's episode, Yvonne talks with Sean about keeping her sexuality a secret, the day she learned she would have to leave the army and her current advocacy work which brought her to testify at the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Her mission? Get an apology from the Albanese government. Yvonne is the President of the Discharged LGBTI Veterans' Association. Find out more: https://dlvainfo.com/about/ Learn more about Yvonne's story at the 'Defending with Pride' exhibition at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne: https://www.shrine.org.au/defending-pride  Yvonne was interviewed for the book 'Pride in Defence' https://www.mup.com.au/books/pride-in-defence-paperback-softback  Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: Open Arms provides free 24-hour counselling for veterans and their families. Their number is 1800 011 046 QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore is repealing its controversial 377A gay sex law. But it's not all good news. Because at the exact same time, the government is making it impossible for same-sex partners to marry by amending their constitution. One step forward, two steps back. What is Section 377A? Why is it being repealed? What do Singaporeans think about it? And what does this constitutional amendment mean for same-sex partners who want to marry? We'll answer those questions (and many more) in today's episode of Queer Questions! Join in the conversation on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Ask us your Queer Questions: comeouttous@gmail.com If you want more information: Read more about the survey into Singaporean's attitude towards same sex marriage: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-23/same-sex-marriage-opposed-by-majority-in-singapore-survey-shows If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're a woman who's in a relationship with a woman, people call you a lesbian. If you're a woman who dates men and women, people call you bisexual. But what if you don't feel like either? Trainer, podcast host and former beach sprinting Junior World Champion, Katie Williams, came out with her girlfriend Georgia in 2021. But even though she's a woman in a relationship with another woman, she doesn't want your labels. Katie sits down with Sean to share about exploring her sexuality in secret, the pressure to open up about her sexuality after she appeared on Big Brother Australia, how her family reacted when she came out in her late 20s, and how she responds when people ask her, "so how do you have sex?" Follow Katie on Instagram: @katiewilliams Follow us on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Email us: comeouttous@gmail.com If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monkeypox is here and we need to talk about it. For our inaugural Queer Questions episode, Sean asks if Monkeypox (a virus that is mostly affecting men who have sex with men) is a gay disease? What is Monkeypox? Why are gay men being infected? What can be done about it? What can we learn from HIV/AIDS? And is it ever okay to tell gay men to stop having sex? Join in the conversation on Instagram: @comeoutwhereveryouare Ask us your Queer Questions: comeouttous@gmail.com If you want more information: Listen to this episode of the podcast 'Science Vs' https://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs/awhvln4  Read the New England Journal of Medicine study Sean quoted https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2207323  If this episode brought up any feelings for you or you want more information, these resources may help you: QLife: Call 1800 184 527 for a free phone service every day from 3pm – midnight. Visit their website www.qlife.org.au for a free webchat Minus18: Australia’s LGBTQIA+ charity. Follow them on social @minus18youth or visit their website on www.minus18.org.au for resources, events and training for your school or workplace Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 for 24-hour crisis supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're here, we're queer and we're finally BACK to regular publishing! Things will look a little bit different this season. Not only will we be in your podcast feed every Wednesday sharing coming out stories from members of the LGBTQIA+ community... But we're introducing a second episode each week. Every Friday, we'll be answering your Queer Questions. You know, things like what does this certain word mean? What's the history behind the rainbow flag? Or how do I ask my boss to use different pronouns? We know you have queer questions. And you're in luck, because we have queer answers! Chat to you this Friday 💙🌈See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.